Preface

Summary

This book derives from a 2015 Summer Seminar for University Professors, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities of Washington, D.C. The seminar commenced on June 8 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and ended on July 12, in Glasgow, Scotland, after an extended stay in Douglas on the Isle of Man. The co-editors of this volume, who were also the co-directors of the seminar, are forever indebted to the extraordinary participants, our colleagues and friends, whose research projects, presentations, and contributions to the lively and provocative discussions helped to make the experience so memorable and productive. In addition to the authors of the essays included herein, those participants included Kay J. Blalock, Tracey Cooper, Emily C. Cox, Donna E. Crawford, Sandy Feinstein, Leslie Jacoby, and Jeff A. Rudy. Thank you all!

We are also grateful to the NEH itself, especially Doug Arnold and Rebecca Boggs, as well as to our gracious hosts and invited seminar speakers—Thomas Clancy, Peter Davey, Jennifer Kewley-Draskau, James P. Mallory, Gregory Toner, Sir David Wilson, and M. Joseph Wolf—and to our redoubtable administrative coordinator, Milissa Ackerly. Special thanks to the indispensable Andrea Weikel, who completed the final accounting on the grant. We would also like to acknowledge the Centre for Manx Studies, formerly a research unit of the University of Liverpool; the Manx National Heritage and the Isle of Man Museums, for letting the members of the seminar use their facilities and resources, for providing photographs of items from their remarkable archaeological collection for our publication, and for permitting us to quote extracts from the Manx Folk-Life Survey Archive; the Royal Overseas League in Edinburgh; Strathmillis College in Belfast; and the University of Glasgow. This grateful acknowledgment extends to Peter Killey, who has allowed us to use his beautiful photograph on the cover.

Of course, our heartfelt gratitude goes out in a special way to the Amsterdam University Press, in particular Erin Dailey (who, in addition to all his editorial assistance, so expertly designed a map for us), Lucia Dove, and Chantal Nicolaes. Without the guidance, wisdom, and faith in the project with which they honored us, our book could not have become a reality.